Technical Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to protective headgear.
Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,539,935, 6,589,189, 6,826,509, 6,941,952, 7,570,170 and published US Patent Application number 2006/0189852 describe systems that attach accelerometers to a protective helmet, either on the exterior of the helmet itself, or on the surface of the pads forcing sensors into direct contact with the wearer's head. Some use a single sensor (1, 2 or 3 axis), while others use sensors positioned at various locations on the head or helmet. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,509 that describes a specific orientation of the accelerometer's axis with respect to the skull of the wearer and describes a method that estimates the point of impact contact, the direction of force applied, and the duration of an impact in terms of its acceleration. The method of calculating these parameters applies an error-minimizing scheme that “best fits” the array of accelerometer inputs. The common goal of all such systems is to determine if an impact event has exceeded a threshold that would warrant examining the individual involved for signs of a concussion and possible removal from the activity. Some systems combine the impact threshold information with some form of follow-up physiological evaluation such as memory, eye sight, balance, or awareness tests. These tests purportedly determine if a concussion has occurred and provide some insight into its severity. Another goal of some systems is to provide information about the impact event that may be helpful in diagnosis and treatment, such as a display of the point of impact, direction, and duration of an acceleration overlaid on a picture of a head.
The disadvantages of conventional approaches will be evident to one skilled in the art when presented the disclosure that follows.